Figgy's Strikes Again - the Zephyr Romper!

I do NOT know how I haven't made more of these!!!  I love this Zephyr Romper by Figgy's and wish I'd made Camden one for each of the past two years.  She has only ever had one of them, and I loved it to pieces!  

OMG!!!  May of 2013!!

Well....okay.  I DO know why I don't make them more often....it IS a bit fiddly, though not difficult, really.  And I have been putting it off in favor of quicker things to sew...especially since Tiberius arrived in our lives, aha!

The pattern is awesome, and it's another that is best to assembly line sew, in my opinion!  As with last time, I also made two dress versions, yet to be blogged (as in, I finished them last night, in the midst of having a cold, LOL).  I used a fun fabric I bought way back when I purchased the fabric for the first I'd made.

One of the fiddly bits is in making the braided straps, BUT....I made them simpler this time by NOT sewing tubes out of my knit fabric strips...I left them raw.  Smart move, I KNOW!!!  I also did NOT cut them on the bias, as I found the top dragged a bit last time I made this.  As for the button loops, I'm just plain silly and SHOULD have made tubes, but I thought I was a GENIUS and had another plan...that then involved me hand-sewing the tubes shut.....not good times, but whatever.

Also, not photographed is a defect:  I didn't realize until after I'd sewn the WHOLE OUTFIT that I didn't manage to get the end of one of the button loops caught under the original seam, so, it's dangerously exposed and could probably fall out at some point.  I could try to fix it - but maybe later, aha!  I do wish, though, I'd looked at pattern photos, as I wouldn't have moved the buttons so far over.  Another strike against me, as I did that on the dress versions last night, too.

The cuff pieces are a bit of work, but I used the knit on the outside, attached a knit interfacing, then lined the cuffs with shot cotton.  I also hand-stitched those into place after I knotted them.

Lastly, I totally took GENIUS to the next level by just not reading the pattern at all.  I attached the bodice to the shorts and completely forgot about that whole elastic casing bit....so, there was a bit of SERGED seam un-picking.....oops.

Overall, love it!!!  Just bummed about the button loop situation - and thinking it won't fit for long.  I sewed the size based on her chest measurement, but it's a bit snug getting on, so, I'm sure the same'll go with the dress versions I made.  Last time I made all of these, she got a LOT Of use out of them, so, I must have sewn based on age last time or something.  Such is life!

Days in the life.....

Best spot to read, really!

It's That Time Again! Figgy's Banyan Shorts and Tees!

When she tells me it's hard to NOT stick her tongue between her teeth when she smiles

The Banyan Shorts and Shirt outfit by Figgy's is one of those simples pleasures sorts of deals!  The shorts are NOT a quick sew, if one were to put zipper/fly installations into the "not super fast" category, but I love them, and while I'm not always super pleased with the job I've done, I think they are cute from the OUTside, aha!

The shorts went together fairly well, and I made sure to work again from stash, as I basically had to!  I used the same corduroy I used here, and thanks again to Brianne of the Cookies 'n Bees blog for that gift!  I used a fun extra button I had lying around, courtesy of the time I made the Sunnyside sweater.  For the fly facing and waistband facing, I used a bit from the Daphne Knickers I just made, too!

When I make this outfit, I like to make two tees - killing the birds and stones and making it more versatile/colorful!  I actually used the brightly colored stripes another time I made this, too (pictured in this blog post), but I had enough, so, I gave it another go!  As always, I do not hem the shirt or sleeves.....keepin' it real, y'all.  As it was, the serger was making me insane.  It preferred sewing with the bright stripes, in general, but when I attached the neckband, it was hating life, and it then preferred the pink stripes, LOL.  Also, I don't know that I'll ever get a perfect neckband, but whatever.  I'll move on with my day ;)

This pattern is honestly pretty easy - the only thing I changed, I think, was to make the waistband longer on both sides, because I think there was an error on the length of one side, so, I just made both longer, aha!  I sewed up the size 8/9, and it fits pretty well...how?!!!  Camden is not that old!  :O  So crazy, aha!

As always, days in the life....

The state of things

I go many moons between cuts...felt much better here!

High Desert Museum Time

A Simple Project - Daphne Knickers

I don't know why I haven't completed more pairs of the Daphne Knickers by Violette Field Threads, as it really IS a great, simple pattern!  One can doll it up with the ruffles, but I kept things simple by leaving them out (read:  laaaaaaazy/ain't nobody got time).  The first pair, I made a MILLION years ago here.

Anyway, f'real, there are technically three pattern pieces, I think, so, they sew up insanely fast, if you leave out the ruffles.  The only thing that DOES slow a person down is the binding at the cuffs.  That can get a bit fiddle, as it's a small area, and I had to fix the first one after my first try.  I'm sure there was much cussing at the sewing machine (side note:  as a kid, I firstly NEVER cussed...and secondly, we didn't use that term in northern Michigan; we said "swearing"....anyone else??!).

I had originally purchased this fabric for an All Spice Dress by Paisley Roots, but I knew I NEEDED it for the capris when I was looking through my stash, so, I'll need something else for the All Spice (first time I made it here)!  I just love me some cute florals - also, this fabric is a RARE Joann Fabrics purchase.  :O  Speaking OF, I do plan to make a Paisley Roots Saffron soon, as that is, hands-down, one of Camden's favorite dresses EVER (also, I SWEAR I blogged the first version, but I can't find the post).

Anywho.....short enough post for a simple enough project!!!

Days in the life of....

It is rare Matt gets to hang out at Shevlin with us!

Photo time for this year's Mary Poppins

   Blast-Ended Skrewt, LOLOL

It is rough waking up in the morning....